If you are in the market for home or office furniture, you might want to consider the Sauder Furniture company’s ready-to-assemble line of furniture. It’s well crafted, moderately priced and will fit into virtually any decor. All you need is a screwdriver, a light hammer and some spare time to assemble it.
For the last six years we’ve had our TV on a coffee table, with the intention of buying a TV stand. Like a lot of other things, it became a low priority. Recently my wife gave me the ultimatum: we are buying a TV stand so she can get the coffee table back. The timing was coincidental, as I had an ulterior motive for this also. If I bought a large enough entertainment credenza, then I would just have to buy a large screen TV. Visions of 50-inch plasma screens danced in my empty head, so I willingly acquiesced to her demand.
After looking at some of the credenzas in furniture stores, I wasn’t too impressed. They were either cheesy looking or very expensive. Then I saw an ad in the Sunday paper for entertainment credenzas, among other things, that were made by Sauder. I am familiar with the name, as I’ve assembled some of their products before, including a massive entertainment center.
Off we went to the furniture store. There was a nice selection of Sauder furniture, and we chose an oak finish, 60-inch credenza that was capable of holding a large screen TV up to 240 pounds. We bought it and took it home in my pickup truck. The carton was about six feet long and six inches high, so you would need a vehicle with storage space. You will also need two people to carry it, as it is very heavy.
The Sauder line is made of “an environmentally friendly material called “engineered wood,” a combination of high quality hard wood and soft wood materials which are residuals of other lumber processes. These materials are bonded together with a synthetic resin, then applied to high heat and pressure. The result is dense, strong panels which are then laminated and cut into pieces.”
There are quite a few finishes available for each model, including cherry, oak, pine, painted, etc. Their furniture collections include contemporary, country, traditional, and transitional, so you can easily find a model to suit your style.
I proceeded with the assembly one morning, armed with strong coffee and some classic Rock music in the background. They’re not necessary, though, as any beverage and musical genre will do. Having had past experience with assembling things, I violated the “guy thing” and read the assembly instructions from front to back before the fun began.
Sauder provides clearly written instructions with good visuals. The assembly should progress in the order that they tell you. You can’t skip any steps, as it will present problems further along. Follow what they say and you won’t have a problem. Some of the panels can be heavy, so it’s advisable to have two people on hand for lifting and positioning them. Otherwise it’s normally a one-person job.
Now it’s time for an admission: I screwed up on the first step! There are metal things called “hidden cams” that insert into pre-drilled holes, and then cam dowels are inserted into them from the panel edges. I tapped them in all the way, so the dowels were flush with the panel edges. Wrong! Now I couldn’t turn the cams to tighten the panels into their mates. And I had done this will all six of the crucial panels for the credenza.
I called the Sauder help line and explained my idiocy to a very compassionate woman in Customer Service. She advised me there was nothing I could do to back the dowels out and salvage the panels. I really felt stupid at this point, and then she asked for my home address. The parts were covered under their warranty and she arranged to have them shipped without charge! I couldn’t believe it! I had the replacement panels delivered by UPS three days later and then assembled the credenza correctly. Success! Even better, my wife loves the beautiful finish and sturdiness.
To say I’m impressed with Sauder Woodworking furniture is an understatement. Their craftsmanship, easy assembly and price make it a no-brainer. You can easily save over a hundred dollars or more by going with the ready to assemble line of furniture. It’s a cost-effective alternative to expensive furniture.
